Settings to change right away on iOS 10 – CNET
iOS 10: 7 settings to change when you upgrade
Just downloaded iOS 10? Here are seven settings you can change right now to maximize your privacy and customize your iPhone.
by Lexy Savvides
Close
Drag
iOS 10 brings plenty of new features and interface tweaks to improve the performance of your device. But there are some settings you may want to change right off the bat.
Stop tracking your location
Like previous versions of the operating system, iOS 10 keeps track of your frequently visited locations.
If you already turned this setting off in an older version of iOS this should carry over. To stop your phone tracking frequent locations go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Frequent Locations and turn the toggle off.
Directly underneath the list of tracked locations click the Clear History button to delete existing records.
Restore touch to unlock
Don’t like having to press the home button to unlock the phone? Switch back to touch to unlock by going to Settings > General > Accessibility > Home Button then toggle on “Rest finger to open.”
Limit the lock screen
iOS 10 shows a lot of information on the lock screen that you may want to hide from prying eyes. Prevent other people replying to messages and using Siri from the lock screen by going to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. Scroll to “Allow access when locked.”
From here, toggle off reply with message, Siri and any other relevant options. If you would rather get rid of the widget screen altogether, which appears when you swipe right from the lock screen, toggle off Today View.
Disable raise to wake
If you have a newer iPhone with an M9 motion coprocessor such as the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, you have the option to use the raise to wake feature. This shows you notifications on the lock screen when you lift up the phone. If you don’t want the screen to turn on everytime you move the phone, go to Settings > Display and brightness > Raise to Wake.
Messages
iOS 10 lets you turn on individual iMessage read receipts. Go into a message thread and tap the i icon next to the contact name. Toggle on or off send read receipts.
To conserve data, send lower quality images by going to Settings > Messages > Low quality image mode.
Magnify
The camera can be used as a magnifier so you can get a closer look at text, objects or even people. Go to General > Accessibility and Magnifier. Triple click the home button in camera to zoom, no pinching with digital zoom required.
For more iOS 10 tips and tricks, make sure to check out our complete guide.
YouTube HDR: What’s the story?
It’s been nine months since Google-owned YouTube announced it would soon support HDR content.
With HDR-compatible televisions bursting onto the market, and several other media companies (such as Netflix and Amazon) announcing they too would support HDR content, many consumers are likely wondering what’s going on with YouTube and when they’ll be able to watch funny cat clips in HDR. Here’s everything we know about YouTube’s HDR plans, including what HDR means.
YouTube HDR: When will HDR be available?
YouTube at CES 2016 in January said it planned to support the latest innovation in video: HDR (or high dynamic range). Robery Kyncl, the company’s chief business officer, quietly revealed the news during on-stage discussion about 360-degree video experiences, which YouTube also supports, with GoPro’s CEO, Nick Woodman, and Chris Milk, the CEO of VRSE, a virtual-reality studio.
In fact, YouTube told TechCrunch that it already showcased YouTube in HDR 4K on CES’s show floor, displaying videos from NASA and Karmin on the latest TV sets from Samsung, LG, and Hisense. Unfortunately, since January, YouTube hasn’t done anything else in regards to HDR. It hasn’t announced when support will roll out, and as of September, it doesn’t appear to offer any HDR content.
YouTube HDR: What does HDR mean?
As we mentioned already, HDR stands for high dynamic range. The technology basically improves video image quality by expanding contrast ratio and colour palette. The result is a more realistic and natural image with richer colours, brighter whites, deeper blacks, and plenty of detail for dark, shadowy scenes. The format is informally considered the next step beyond HD TV.
Keep in mind HDR is sometimes branded differently. For instance, an alternative HDR standard is called Dolby Vision. One of the things that makes Dolby Vision different is that it’s designed as an end-to-end HDR process. Pocket-lint has an in-depth guide that details everything you need to know about HDR and the different standards available, including their technical specs:
- What is HDR, what TVs support HDR, and what HDR content can I watch?
YouTube HDR: What types of HDR content can you watch?
On YouTube, you’ll presumably be able to watch HDR content from YouTube creators who made HDR videos using HDR-capable cameras (just like you can do now with 4K videos and 360-degree videos from YouTube creators), and you may be able to rent HDR movies from YouTube, although the company has not confirmed whether this type of offering will be included with HDR support.
Currently, several HDR 4K movies are available in the market, including Fury, Men in Black 3, After Earth, and so on.
YouTube HDR: How will you find HDR videos on YouTube?
It’s unclear how YouTube will designate which videos are HDR. It’s also unclear how you will be able to find them. We assume you’ll be able to select HDR from an app/site-wide search filter or settings toggle on clips (just like you can do for 4K videos, 3D videos, 360-degree videos, etc).
Keep in mind Netflix, which supports HDR, doesn’t make it clear which TV shows and movies are available in HDR, but it has already started showing HDR content, with the show Marco Polo, for instance.
YouTube HDR: What do you need to watch HDR?
You can only watch HDR on a HDR-compatible TV/display. Vizio, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, LG, TCL, Hisense, and every other TV manufacturer you can think of now sell HDR TV sets. The new PS4 Pro can also output HDR video. During Sony’s September event, the console maker announced both YouTube and Netflix are making new apps that will play HDR videos on all PS4 models.
Want to know more?
Check out Pocket-lint’s YouTube and HDR hubs for the latest news.
Adblock Plus’ ad network is off to a rough start
When Adblock Plus unveiled its own ad network in a bid to make money from toned-down ads, it raised more than a few eyebrows… including those of its supposed ad partners. While the company said that its Acceptable Ads Platform would supply ads from Google and AppNexus, it turns out that it was merely relying on a go-between company (ComboTag) to get those ads. It hadn’t asked the underlying ad providers about a deal — and now, they want out. Both Google and AppNexus are ending their associations with ComboTag, leaving Adblock Plus without much of a leg to stand on.
Google’s senior VP for ads, Sridhar Ramaswamy, says that his company was caught off-guard by the Adblock Plus announcement. It’s “uncomfortable” watching Adblock Plus transition from purely blocking ads to pushing them, he says, and it would be preferable if the industry simply created less intrusive ads that people didn’t want to block. In a statement to Business Insider, a Google spokesperson added that it had “no knowledge of, or involvement in” the deal between ComboTag and Adblock Plus’ parent company Eyeo. When we reached out to Google ourselves, it outlined in no uncertain terms that “this is not a business we want to be part of.” You can read the full statement below.
“We were surprised by the announcement and learned of it when we were contacted by press. We have no involvement in their program and this is not a business we want to be part of. We are moving to terminate ComboTag’s AdX account. Ad blocking is a symptom of bad ads online and that’s why we believe the industry needs to align around a standard–backed by data and insights from conversations with real consumers–for what constitutes a better ads experience online.”
AppNexus isn’t being diplomatic, either. It’s not only severing ties with Adblock Plus, but insists that it doesn’t work with companies so “fundamentally harmful” to the ad business. Adblock effectively sets up “toll booths on a public road,” taking ad money that should be going straight to the publishers.
Both an Adblock Plus spokesperson and ComboTag CEO Guy Tytunovich insisted in statements that the program would still include Google and AppNexus ads. However, it’s not clear that either was aware of the planned departures at the time they issued those statements. They’ll likely have to change their tune before long — they can’t force Google or AppNexus to supply ads for a program they view as shady.
Source: Business Insider, Ad Age
Samsung guarantees its latest SUHD TVs won’t suffer burn-in
If the constant fear of screen burn-in was keeping you from making a big television purchase, then Samsung’s new guarantee might make you reconsider. The electronics giant announced today that it is providing a lifetime guarantee against the dreaded screen burn-in for all of its 2016 SUHD Quantum Dot TVs. Should your brand-new, ultra high-def, HDR+ set suffer burn-in (from “normal consumer use,” of course) Samsung will replace it for free.
For the uninitiated, “burn-in” happens when a TV is left showing a single image or scene for an extended period of time, leaving the image permanently “burned” into the screen. It is commonly associated with older Plasma and OLED sets, but LCD panels can be prone to it as well.
The guarantee covers all Samsung’s “8” or “9” series SUHD Quantum dot sets sold in the US and proud new owners of those panels will want to be sure to properly register there purchase with Samsung. And while you’re at it, you might want to return that new Samsung phone as well.
Source: BusinessWire
EU digital rules promise 5G, free WiFi and tougher copyright
The European Union isn’t done stepping up its digital initiatives. Officials have outlined proposed policies that are focused on dramatically increasing access to both the internet and the content you’ll find on it. Most of the proposals will be helpful, although not everyone is a fan — there are copyright changes that are rubbing Google the wrong way.
To start, the EU wants to “fully deploy” 5G mobile networks across its member countries by 2025. You’d theoretically get gigabit-class data across the continent. And you might not have to be picky about using it when traveling, either. While the EU has had to shelve its most recent free roaming plan, it still wants to “abolish” roaming charges. You should see a refined take on its plan next week.
However, you might not even have to depend on cellular data to get online. The proposal would also offer free wireless internet access (presumably, over WiFi) in the “main centers of public life” of every EU town by 2020. You wouldn’t get blanket coverage, but this would be particularly crucial in rural areas where cellular networks are spotty or non-existent, and local organizations don’t always have the means to offer free WiFi hotspots. If a €120 million ($135 million) grant receives approval, communities would have access to the funds before the end of 2017.
The EU is committed to its promises of erasing borders for media services, too. It wants to make content accessible across the Union, so you wouldn’t be limited to material offered in your home country. You could watch German Netflix shows while you’re visiting France, for example. You could also buy pay-TV movies and similar material from other countries, some of which might well be less expensive than it is at home. Broadcasters would still have control over whether or not their content is available in other countries.
It’s in the copyright space where things get tricky. The proposal would require better data sharing and transparency for creators, but it would also give press publishers rights that ensure they get a “fair share” of revenues for material they post online. Sound familiar? It should — it’s similar to laws in Germany and Spain that ask search engines like Google to pay up when they show an article snippet in their results. The EU contends that this is necessary to make sure writers are “paid fairly,” but Google unsurprisingly objects. It believes that the German and Spanish laws “failed,” and that these demands for payment ultimately hurt publishers by giving web users fewer reasons to click through to an article.
Moreover, the regulation might be bad news for YouTube. The proposal would require that services offering user-uploaded content take “appropriate and proportionate” steps to protect copyright. While this does include “content recognition technologies” (possibly a reference to YouTube’s Content ID), Google is worried that the measure would require screening content before it goes public, which would demand far more work. Google policy lead Caroline Atkinson claims that it would lead to an internet where every upload would have to be “cleared by lawyers.”
The proposal needs to clear both the European Parliament and individual governments to go forward. It may take a long time before the initiative takes effect, and that’s assuming there are no significant changes. If it does, though, Europe could have a very different digital landscape within the next decade. It would definitely be more connected, but there’s a concern that Google and others like it might scale back their European presence rather than make the effort to comply with new copyright laws.
Via: Ars Technica, Bloomberg, New York Times
Source: European Commission (1), (2)
Google Fiber TV finally gets an interface overhaul
While Alphabet ponders switching its high-speed Google Fiber service to wireless, those subscribers already on the bandwagon are getting the biggest update to their TV box since the network went live in 2012. As Google’s Fiber team notes today, the Fiber TV interface has been redesigned to add more helpful information, a reorganized DVR and new recommendation functions.
The new look and feel includes Rotten Tomatoes ratings in the program descriptions, better show and movie thumbnails to streamline casual browsing and a Smart Search feature that allows for searching by titles, actors, sports teams and other criteria. And, to finally bring Fiber TV up to the contemporary standards, the service can now recommend movies and TV shows based on the shows you currently watch. So if you’ve been binging on all that Walking Dead, don’t be surprised if George Romero flicks start popping up in your recommendations.
The update starts rolling out to Fiber TV subscribers today, although Google’s blog post does mention it could take a couple weeks to reach all current customers.
Source: Google Fiber Blog
NYC nixes kiosk browsers after homeless commandeer their use
NYC debuted its gigabit LinkNYC program in January of this year to great fanfare. These kiosks, 400 in total dot the city, offered free wi-fi for passing residents as well as dedicated tablets that anyone could use. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out quite as planned. On Wednesday, the LinkNYC program announced that it would be temporarily borking its tablets until officials can figure out how to ensure that they aren’t bogarted by the city’s homeless residents.
Turns out homeless residents were hijacking the kiosks and using the tablets as their personal computers/porn hubs — reportedly preventing others from using them and causing a nuisance for nearby businesses. In response, LinkNYC announced that it will remove the web browser and is considering implementing time limits. Other features like free phone calls, maps, device charging, 911, and the gigabit wi-fi will remain active.
‘League of Legends’ will keep adding new champs for ‘many’ years
League of Legends studio Riot Games is 10 years old, and like a fifth-grader riding his first two-wheeler, it’s just getting started. Riot announced this week that League of Legends boasts 103 million monthly active players, up from 67 million in 2015. Compare that with Dota 2, which had 13.5 million players in the past month, or Overwatch, which has a total player pool of about 15 million. League of Legends is a massive phenomenon, helping pave the way for eSports as it enters mainstream consciousness and partnering with universities to kick off the next generation of competitive gaming.
The game itself is also huge. There are 132 champions in League of Legends, each with individual abilities, personalities, backstories, voice acting and costume choices, and Riot is constantly adding more. Just today, the company teased a new champion, bringing the revised total to 133.
That number is going to keep growing for a long while, Lead Game Designer Greg Street tells Engadget.
“We don’t have to worry about the ‘too many champions’ problem for some time,” Street says. “If you asked me, ‘Is there a magic max number of champions that League can support?’ I’d admit that there probably is, but it’s probably a pretty large number, and we won’t reach it for many, many years. For the next few years, releasing a new champion is one of the most exciting moments for League players and I’d hate to lose that feeling.”
Over the past couple of years, Riot has slowed down its release cadence, Street says. However, this isn’t an attempt to limit the number of champions; instead, it’s a conscious effort to improve the quality of each new playable character.
“I can’t imagine us ever overhauling the game from scratch,” Street says. “We make updates all the time, and that includes updating old champions in need of new visuals, new sound, new backstories or those that just don’t deliver on the depth of gameplay of more modern champions.”
Street hesitates to complain about League of Legends’ massive popularity. After all, the goal of many game designers is to create something that millions, if not billions, of people around the world regularly play. But, with a huge player base comes unique difficulties.
League of Legends is a global game. There are people playing right now across Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, South Korea, Denmark, South Africa and dozens of other countries, and each of these regions has its own quirks. Finding a balance among all of these spaces is one of the toughest aspects of Street’s job.
For example, the champion Jinx riffs on an archetype of the badass female anarchist, something that Western audiences understand. However, that archetype doesn’t really exist in other places of the world, Street says. These are the strange inconsistencies that he has to think about when implementing new champions or mechanics.
“Even within a single region, we have players of vastly different skill levels, going from a true beginner all the way to a professional eSports team member, but they all expect a relatively balanced game,” Street says. “League players tend to be pretty hardcore, so it may be weird to consider how diverse the community can be, but with 100 million players, the diversity is pretty mind-boggling.”
Riot has offices around the world and Street relies on these employees to offer insights about the local atmosphere. Plus, Riot regularly asks its players what they want to see fixed or added to the game. In the end, it’s all about balance.
“As a developer, it’s easy to become paralyzed by fear that your change might ruin the night of so many players,” Street says. “But on the other hand, those players have high expectations, so they aren’t going to accept you not addressing problems. You have to be mindful of the ramifications of the changes you make, but you do have to keep making them.”
Apple Pay now works with Squarespace sites
If you have a Squarespace site that you’re using to sell your wares, your online store can now accept Apple Pay via the iPhone and the upcoming macOS Sierra. Now visitors can buy stuff without digging out their credit card.
To make sure your site accepts Apple Pay, Squarespace notes that you should make sure your site accepts Stripe payments and enable the new online checkout experience in settings.
Shopify is also allowing its customers to add Apple Pay to their retail sites. The move by both companies not only reduces payment friction from Apple devices, it also adds an additional level of security since each transaction has its own unique token.
Source: Sqaurespace
Sex toy maker faces class action lawsuit over tracking
If you were creeped out by the thought of a sex toy creator collecting data about your usage habits, you’re not alone. An Illinois woman has filed a class action lawsuit against the We-Vibe 4 Plus’ creator, Standard Innovation, for allegedly violating laws covering everything from fraud through to eavesdropping and wiretaps. She’d used the connected, couple-oriented vibrator “several times” before she learned that it was transmitting data such as the intensity, mode and time of use. The company shows a “wholesale disregard” for privacy rights, the anonymous woman claims.
Standard Innovation previously said that it’s only collecting info for its own research, and that it was largely anonymous. Also, it has been taking steps to mend its ways: it’s clarifying its terms of service in the name of transparency, and letting you opt out. However, that doesn’t change the situation for the plaintiff. She received the vibrator in May, months before the Def Con presentation that revealed the We-Vibe 4’s privacy issues. And it’s not yet certain that Standard Innovations are enough. Shouldn’t tracking be opt-in, instead of something you might only discover when it’s too late?
There’s no guarantee that this woman will get class action status for her case. If she does, though, the outcome could have a tangible effect on privacy for the Internet of Things. Device makers may be more hesitant to scoop up your info in the first place, or more likely to ask permission before they collect anything potentially sensitive.
Via: Vocativ, Boing Boing
Source: Courthouse News Service
AIVAnet 